While the global financial sector was talking about the threat of another banking crisis across Europe, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) released on Tuesday a discussion paper that said the regulator would put in place Basel III capital requirements two years ahead of the 2015 deadline.

The timing of the paper's release was seen by observers as a vote of confidence on Australia's banks.

"The key message is the regulator is looking to emphasize the health of Australia's banks in the face of global uncertainty. APRA probably sees little need to drag out over five years a deadline the Australian banks can meet in just two years," The Sydney Morning Herald said.

Despite protest by some banks, the early implementation of the Basel III of the higher capital requirements is even seen as doing the Australian lenders a favor.

"At a time when investors are looking for excuses to exit banks, APRA has given them a good excuse to back Australian lenders," the paper pointed out.

APRA believes the country's banking sector could easily meet the Basel requirements of a minimum 6 per cent Tier 1 capital ratio by 2013 based on Australian banks having a current minimum Tier 1 ratio of 4 per cent of risk-weighted assets.

Ratings agency Fitch, in a statement released on Tuesday, found APRA's approach to Basel III capital rules as conservative. It cited APRA's keeping the regulator's conservative risk-weighted asset calculations and retaining the Pillar 1 capital charge for interest rate risk in the banking book.

"As a result, capital ratios reported by Australian banks under Basel III will likely remain more conservative than those reported by international peers," Fitch Director of Financial Institutions Group Tim Roche was quoted by Reuters.

However, some Australian bankers were hopeful that APRA would keep within the boundaries proposed by Basel III and not adopt a harsher approach, particularly in terms of local capital reporting.

APRA is scheduled to release another discussion paper within the next few months on Basel III's proposed liquidity rules.